Morning review: Texans have mostly been talk since 11-1 peak

SAN FRANCISCO — Andre Johnson had an outburst in the first quarter and spent several minutes standing by himself, distanced from his struggling offense and shaken team.

Quarterback Matt Schaub was pulled before a 34-3 blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Candlestick Park was complete, then acknowledged postgame a 2-3 squad that began the year saying it belonged in the Super Bowl has hit rock bottom before Week 6.

After the nationally televised disaster was over, linebacker Brian Cushing spent several minutes cornered inside his locker, still in uniform while his back was turned to the media.

Then All-Pro left tackle Duane Brown captured it all. The frustration and embarrassment. The lifelessness and weirdness surrounding a deep, talented team that’s five games into its once-promising 2013 season but yet to show a glimpse of what it should be in real life, outside of a few thrilling come-from-behind quarters.

“We’re pissed off,” Brown said.

And they’re lost and confused.

The Texans held San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick to just six completions and 113 yards passing. The Texans outgained the 49ers, 313-284, and held the ball for nearly eight more minutes. The Texans were also outscored by 31 points, tied their second lowest offensive point total in franchise history, and have been punished by a combined 139-93 this season, despite leading their opponents in a multitude of key offensive and defensive categories.

An NFL-record four pick-sixes by Schaub in the last four games is at the core of the Texans’ frailty. But so is everything from an offense that continues to struggle in the red zone and lacks anything close to a legitimate downfield receiving threat to a team that’s yet to show the heart, fire and drive required of any squad that truly believes it is a Super Bowl contender. The Texans are two plays away from being 0-5 this season; two late rallies away from being the biggest disappointment in the NFL — if they’re not already.

Veterans Johnson and Brown gave separate postgame interviews. Both basically said the same thing. The Texans’ season isn’t close to being over. But it must be fixed — immediately.

“It’s not what we’re accustomed to,” Brown said. “We pride ourselves on being a mentally tough team and being disciplined. But we haven’t played disciplined football yet – it didn’t happen in the games that we won. We got undisciplined and we found our way out of it. But you play against a great football team like we did (Sunday) and they’re going to make you pay for it.”

Johnson added: “This rough time is the time you have to keep the team together. After the game, guys were like, ‘We have to get it fixed.’ No one is screaming or yelling at each other or getting discouraged. Guys are upset at what has happened the past three weeks.”

A players-only meeting followed a 23-20 overtime home loss to Seattle in Week 4. Late Sunday, small groups of Texans engaged in private conversations after coach Gary Kubiak said Schaub is still the team’s starting QB and Johnson acknowledged he doesn’t know if Schaub is “feeling pressure.”